Alternate Dimension
by Ms. Audrey G
Summary: AU. Detective Seiya comes across a peculiar killer, one that describes of a world where mythological gods exist. The thought is maddening to believe, but in the end, he questions the possibility of alternate dimension.


**Disclaimer**: Saint Seiya does not belong to me.

**Notes: **I haven't written in the Saint Seiya fandom for a while. I'm trying to finish _Prisoners of Hades_ in a quick manner. I want to upload all the remaining chapters in one day. However, my mind gets pulled by other ideas swarming in my head that I can't concentrate and finish it.

More short stories (mostly of crime) and one-shots should be expected somewhere in the near future.

* * *

**Alternate Dimension**

Cherry Hill Mental Institution.

How Seiya dislike the place when he set foot on it.

If only the prime killer wasn't a nutcase, he wouldn't be wasting his time in a place that made him tense. Unfortunately, his job required him to discover the motives behind the killer's actions—especially when three lives were taken for no clear reason. He couldn't let the uncomfortable atmosphere block him from doing his priority. The simple method of inhaling and exhaling to relax eased much of his tension. However, it was becoming increasingly difficult to loosen up when a mental patient looked at his blue tie with mere fascination.

His white garments contrasted against the metallic seats. He bit on his nails nervously, afraid, perhaps, of him. His white slip-ons took another step closer to where he sat. Seiya took a glance at the patient, noticing his tamed, slick black hair and beady brown eyes nervously looking back and forth from his emotionless expression to the tie around his neck. He tried to ignore him, but the tanned-skinned individual kept inching closer.

The faculty staff was nowhere to be seen. He thought it was against regulations to let a patient wander past their room. One of the staff should've at least supervised him. Who knew what would have happened if the waiting area would have been packed with people. One fact was for certain. A bullet would be fired and the patient would be harmed.

However, it dawned upon him that his gun was taken the minute he stepped inside the mental institution. Thankfully, the matter was based on hypothetical events that were unlikely to occur since the area was merely filled by the patient and him. No one would get hurt because there was no one to protect. He needed to calm the adrenaline pumping through his veins.

Tapping his foot impatiently, he looked around in sheer boredom. The waiting room screamed a cry of dullness since the lack of colors was clear. The walls blinded him with its pure, white exterior. The metallic chairs seemed to have been put in a freezer. And the tiles were plain as the lights reflected upon it.

He truly hated being here.

White slip-ons crossed his vision. He looked up and met the patient's timid eyes. One of his arms, bandaged with a white strip, was pressed against his stomach.

"Y-y-you have a nice tie," he stuttered.

Seiya grabbed the end of the tie and raised it to his vision.

"I suppose so."

"C-c-can I…C-c-can I have it?"

His mouth was sealed shut from the lack of response. He kindly wanted to object from giving his favorite tie away, but the thought of denying the patient's request left Seiya unsettled. Fear was beginning to grip his rapid heart. Fortunately, a nurse noticed the patient and immediately made her way toward them.

"Dang it, Stuart. How do you keep leaving my sight?"

A Caucasian woman in her mid-forties, having a round shape, and thick glasses, carefully explained to him that he needed to come with her. The white nurse uniform, more like a dress as Seiya looked at it, stopped before her knees. She had stockings underneath and cap settled on her head. She placed both hands on Stuart's arm and led him away.

"I-I-I really like that tie," Stuart murmured. The woman gave a faint smile and assured him that he will have his own tie one day in the future.

"Detective."

He rose on his feet when another light-skinned nurse called him. He picked up his hat and placed it on top of his head. The short distance between them was reduced by his long legs.

"Come with me," she commanded. He followed behind her, and waited when they came in view of a gated cell. She took out a pair of keys and placed one in. Twisting it to a side, she pushed it open and waited for him to pass through. The gate slammed behind them as the woman rummaged through her set of keys to open the next cell gate.

"Don't try to open the gate doors when we leave. You see that red bulb above." She pointed toward the wall next to the gate. He looked and saw a red bulb, encased in a metal cage. "Once that light goes on, the alarm system is set."

"Understood," he replied. The initiative to question the prime killer was beyond important to deal with than his lack of trust in citizens. He would have to ignore the fact that he was trapped inside with lunatics and faculty members that he would rather pull out his gun if any were to dare touch him.

He was having dark thoughts again. The psychiatrist forbade him to cling to his insecurity of humanity, but the memories of his sister being taken away into the van by their presumable father were hard to forget. He trusted no one since that day his sister was found battered and nude in a murky canal.

It was one of the main reasons he became a detective. It was to save unfortunate victims from being taken by the evil-minded. Seiya vowed to protect the peace. However, this case was far from being resolved when the lunatic could hardly remember the purpose of his crime.

He was directed to the room they held him in. The killer sat on his bed, eyes looking toward the wall in a daze. It was proving to be quite difficult to believe that this young man was the killer. He didn't look the part; however, he certainly was connected to the murders.

"How old is he?"

"Sixteen."

Seiya scowled. "He's young." She nodded her head. "I was told that he believes in mythological gods."

"More than that." Seiya looked away from nurse and met a man behind her, donning a white lab coat. He took off his glasses. Cold blue-eyes met his brown. His turquoise hair was past his midriff. "He worships them. Even says he is a Saint of Athena."

Seiya grinned. "It's nice to meet you face-to-face, Doctor Camus Shields."

"A pleasure as well, Detective," he impassively greeted.

Seiya looked into the room once more. "Does he remember the murders?"

"As a matter of fact, I hardly believe he committed the crime." There was a light detection of speculation in his tone.

"Are you telling me that he did not dump those bodies in his apartment?" He stared at the doctor in disbelief.

"Yes," he affirmed.

Seiya let his mouth twitch in annoyance. He'll be the judge of that. "May I speak to him?"

"You may. However, I doubt the answer you seek will lie in him." He paused for a moment. "The boy is sick, Detective. Please be light with him."

Seiya snorted unappealingly. The nurse let him pass through, and lightly informed him that the killer was beyond medicated to fight. The minute he took a step into the quiet room, she closed the door behind them. Like the waiting room, the killer's room was decorated in white. Seiya was beginning to hate the color. The only vibrant color that provided life to the room was the man's green locks.

He took a place near the wall. A pad was taken out of his coat followed by a pen.

"Shun."

The killer looked at him in astonishment.

"Your name is Shun Sterling, correct?"

The killer blinked his eyes twice. He slowly turned his head away.

"My first name is Shun." His voice was pure, perhaps, a bit angelic. It made Seiya doubt for a second that he was the one that he was after. Shun continued to drawl his words. "My last name… huh, I can't seem to remember."

"My name is Detective Seiya Cross," Seiya cut in.

"I know who you are."

Seiya raised a brow in speculation.

"You don't know who I am, huh," he drawled. He shook his head. "No, you have to know who I am. We fought against the gods, remember?" His green eyes were set on him. Seiya was taken by surprise of the countless emotions directed toward him. He felt unsettled and looked away.

"I fought against a god?"

Shun nodded his head.

"Don't you remember, Seiya?" He slammed his hand on the mattress. "Athena was captured by the gods! We had to save her many times!"

"And who is Athena?" Seiya leaned against the wall.

"Seiya, Saori is Athena." Shun smiled. "Don't tell me you forgot?"

The detective pondered on the name before recognition took a hold of him. "Ah, you mean the stripper that works near your apartment building?"

Shun looked confused. "Stripper?

"Yes." Seiya flipped through the pages of his pad. "Here it is." He jabbed his finger at the page. "Saori Kido, works near the corner of 8th street and Main, had a few run-ins with the police, and is currently living across from where you live."

Shun shook his head. "That can't be right. Saori is no stripper. She is more than that. She is Athena. We protect her from harm. That is the duty of being a Saint."

"Has it ever occurred to you that you are living in a fantasy?"

"You're wrong!" he shouted. "Perhaps, this is a trick from Hades, Seiya."

Seiya was beginning to lose his patience. He took a moment to gather his breath before he calmly leaned off the wall. The pad and pen were saved back in his coat. There was no need for it. The killer's mind could not be salvaged when his memories were jumbled with fantasy. There was also the arrogance to believe that Doctor Shields was correct on his assumption of the young man having nothing to do with the murders; however, Seiya didn't buy it.

"There is no Hades." The killer looked at him, doubting his words. "There is no Athena. There are no Saints. And last time I check, I never fought against any mythological gods." He took a step forward. "I am currently under the investigation of the deaths of Ikki Sterling, Pandora White, and Carl Knowles—you may know him working under his drag name 'Aphrodite'." He stared intensely into Shun's disbelief.

"Ikki Sterling? You mean my brother?"

Seiya continued, "Yes. I am sorry to inform you but you are the only prime suspect to be linked through their murders."

Shun denied the accusations with a shout, "You're wrong! I didn't kill my brother!" He looked away in sorrow. "I couldn't…"

"The bodies were found in your apartment. Are you saying you had nothing to do with the murders?"

Shun stared at him gravely. "I promise. I had nothing to do with it. I don't even know where I live. The cop found me at a ditch, told me I was under arrest."

"Do you remember what happened before that?" It was a futile attempt to ask, but Seiya clung to the chance that somewhere deep inside the young man's mind the truth laid.

"I remember running." He closed his eyes tight. "You were there with me. Brother too." He opened his eyes wide when realization dawned upon him. "That's right. I was taken. The minute you fought Hades, I was taken in a blinding light."

Shun lowered his head, the front layers of his hair shielded his eyes. "That's right. No wonder I couldn't remember. No wonder I couldn't summon my cloth. I was taken to another dimension. It explains a lot. It explains why everything doesn't make sense."

"You were taken to another dimension?" Seiya inquired.

Shun looked at him hastily. "Yes." He looked away slowly. "I mean, I was brought here without a reason. I was given medication. I am being put on trial for murders I didn't do. I meet people that are supposed to be dead, but they are still living. And then you…" He looked back at him. "…you were supposed to be my friend."

Seiya ignored the last insane fact.

Shun looked toward the door, mumbling under his breath, "The doctor… His name is Camus. And then there's a patient who I see often… His name is Saga." He looked toward the floor. The space between his brows became a folded wrinkle when he concentrated immensely on a thought. "They are supposed to be dead."

There was no need to linger around here. The killer could hardly remember the crimes he committed, let alone provide a decent story. He walked toward the door. Shun, in desperation, shouted his name.

"Seiya, where are you going?"

He looked back. The young man's eyes were covered heavily with fear. It was rather peculiar. He placed a hand on his heart. There was an odd sensation running through his chest. He was quite familiar with the emotion. The motive to protect rang throughout his body. It was rather strange to want to protect him, a bloodless killer. But as he looked into the young man's eyes, he began to doubt the facts. He needed to revisit the crime scenes once more. Perhaps, there was something left behind, an artifact or a clue to help him with the strange case.

"Seiya?"

He forgot for a second where he was.

"I dallied enough time here."

He banged on the door. One of the nurses in the hallway heard and went to grab the nurse in charge.

"You can't leave me here."

Seiya continued to observe the hallway. "You are not well, Shun."

"I am telling you the truth!"

He looked at the young man torn between despair and fear. Seiya was truly beginning to believe that he had nothing to do with the crimes as the doctor mentioned before. He really needed to revisit the locations of where the murders took place and the apartment where the bodies were dumped.

The door opened when the nurse allowed him to leave. He looked back toward Shun, gave him a bow of his head, and left the room. His screams could be heard behind him as the head nurse called for assistance.

"Seiya!"

He needed a cigarette.

"Seiya! Don't leave me!"

He looked back toward the room he left. The situation was being tamed by several nurses. He looked ahead of him, while searching through his pockets for his pack of cigarettes.

"Detective!"

He turned around. Shun had managed to leave the room, frantically looking around before his eyes met with his. He ran toward him.

Seiya did not move from his spot. His legs would not allow him to. One of the nurses told him to back away. He wanted to listen to her command, but found himself incapable to do so. Shun was in arms length. He began to react, his instincts taking over as he brought his fist upward. But before he had managed to take a punch, something in the air electrified in a literal sense.

His body felt as if it was suspended in the air. There were balls of golden lights surrounding the area. Seiya looked around, taken by surprise of the mystical power that ran throughout the hallway. He looked toward Shun in time to avoid the man's outstretched hand. He stumbled and met the ground as he hissed, closing his eyes shut from the pain coursing through his back, before he stared where the young man stood. His eyes went wide in incredulity.

Standing before him was nothing but a white shoe left behind by Shun. Was he the only one in shock? He noticed several others doubted the event that momentarily occurred, but the evidence remained.

One shoe was left behind.

Seiya scrambled to his feet, demanded the nurse to let him out, who merely trembled to open the cell-doors. He ignored their shouts. He ignored their questionable remarks about the possibility of an alien world. In the end, he muted out everything, grabbed his gun from the front desk, and left the building in desperation.

There was no way an alternative universe existed. The thought was maddening to even think about. It was time to forget about what happened today. A few drinks of booze should help.

But first, he needed to leave this place.

Just by looking at the building that he basically ran from was making him insane. He pulled out a cigarette from his box as he brought it to his lips, his hand still trembling. He continued to remain in disbelief.

Could there possibly be another world where mythological gods existed? Was he, as Shun described him, a Saint of Athena?

"No," he mumbled.

Nothing was making sense.


End file.
